Hi All!
I want to answer a question I get a lot and see others ask in the Paying For College 101 Facebook group:
Should I consider hiring a private college counselor? Will it help? Do we need it?
The answer is......It depends.
Will hiring a private college counselor help? Sure
Do you need to? It depends on how much time you have to research and manage the process for your student.
Here's a quick story that relates to what I'm writing to you about (just bear with me)...
My husband has been doing our family taxes ever since we've been married. He's not an accountant but every time I suggest hiring one he tells me that by the time he gathers all the paperwork and information to hand over to an accountant, he's done the bulk of the work and he may as well purchase the annual tax software to do it himself.
He also adds that since it's our taxes, he goes through all the details and he's not sure an accountant would be as meticulous as he is because it's our own taxes. I'll share that my husband enjoys this type of work, so he doesn't consider it "work" to do the taxes
How does my "taxes" story relate to hiring a private college counselor or not? It relates because they depend on similar choices. They both depend on:
how much time you have to devote to the process.
how comfortable you are navigating a process you're unfamiliar with.
who has the most vested interest in the outcome turning out the best it can be.
Over and over again, I've seen when parents actively manage the admissions and paying for college process, they achieve the outcome they want for both their student and their family's financial situation.
But even if you're willing to take the helm you still need help. The admissions and paying for college process is much different than when we applied and it's just more complicated.
This is why we created the "Concierge Service" which combines tools, resources and multiple live monthly sessions. One parent called it a guided DIY approach to college counseling.
We're teaching families how to navigate the admissions, financial aid and merit scholarship systems while taking out the guesswork and giving a sense of direction to your family.
If you want guidance, access to special experts/tools/data, and to be part of a smaller community of families -join us in the Concierge Service. We only accept new families a few times of year and enrollment is open till March 31st.
Some of you may have noticed we had website issues last weekend, so we're extending our bonus till March 31st. BUT the bonus ends and the enrollment is over on March 31st. We can't accept new families after April 1st.
